Prateek Yadav rejects feud in family, says SP-Cong alliance win will be historic

Refuting the reports of rift in the Samajwadi cadre, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger son Prateek Yadav on Sunday said that his party stands united and that the SP-Congress alliance will siphon a historic win in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Post casting his vote in his elder brother and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's constituency, Prateek ruled out rumours of feud and said that all in his family campaigned for his wife Aparna who is contesting from the Lucknow Cantonment seat.

"There is no conflict within the party, everyone is united. SP-Congress win will be historic. All my family members have campaigned for Aparna, there is no feud in the family," said Prateek.

Further expressing confidence that Aparna will beat veteran leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Prateek said, "I am fully confident that Aparna will win, she has worked for Lucknow cantonment irrespective of the fact that she is not an MLA."

Earlier in the day, Akhilesh also said his party, in alliance with the Congress, will again form government in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.

"We were ahead in the first and the second phase and I am confident that we will lead in the third phase also. Once again the Samajwadi Party, in alliance with the Congress, will be forming the government," said Akhilesh.

12 percent voter turnout was recorded on Sunday till 9 a.m. in third phase of Uttar Pradesh polls.

With Kanpur recording a voting of 7.71 percent, Kannauj saw 11.65 percent voting and Sitapur 11 percent.

With over 826 candidates from 105 political parties contesting for 69 seats, polling began on Sunday morning for the crucial third phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections.

The districts going for polling in this phase are Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Lucknow, Unnao, Sitapur and Barabanki.

There are 2 crore and 41 lakh voters, including over 1 crore 10 lakh women and 1028 third gender who will decide the political fate of 826 candidates including 105 women in the fray.

Sixteen thousand 681 polling centers and 25 thousand 607 polling stations have been erected for polling.